“You folks know how to use a gun at all?” the man's horse voice barked in my direction.
I nodded my head nervously. Zack seemed cool about the whole ordeal; he looked at him with confidence. Nikky merely stood there, a look of utter terror streaked across her face.
The wall wasn't going to hold long. We had been trying to get some much needed rest when the goddamn military came crashing through the abandoned house we were holed up in. Caused a huge racket, I wouldn't be surprised if there were Ragers from the next town over currently slamming their rotting fists upon the hastily constructed barricade.
A great shudder came from the wall, causing a pained yelp from Nikky and me to swallow hard. The man continued staring at us, his eyes glazed over from years of training and following orders. He was likely their leader; the others seemed to rally around him whenever he moved.
“Take this,” he growled, handing me something cold and heavy before turning away, “Charles, give one to the other guy. Keep the girl safe!”
I inspected the steel frame of a pump action shotgun now cradled within my hands. It had been awhile since we had the luxury of something that required ammunition.
“I can fight, asshole!” Nikky spoke up, her body now rigid and tense, “Give me a gun!”
There was a moment of silence, save for the howl of the undeath pounding upon the rapidly splintering barricade. A loud crack came from the sagging wood, causing each of us to look toward the threat.
“Give her something!” Zack shouted while steadying the barrel of his own weapon, “We need all hands on deck here!”
I never would know if Nikky was given the luxury of defending herself, for the wall came down with a thundering boom. Wordlessly, we began opening fire upon the mass of Ragers. I fired again and again into the shambling horde, each moment giving them opportunity to advance.
“Fall back!” came the voice of the officer, “Out the back door!”
They were close enough to reach out and touch. I threw my leg into the nearest one; an obese man that was once in his middle age. My foot connected with his protruding gut, causing him to stumble backward. Blood sprayed at my eyes as I fired again while taking steps backward with the others. Suddenly, I felt an impossible tug on my left arm. A shorter one, a little girl, clutched at my arm while forcing my body downward. I cried out and tripped, my back slapping at the wooden floor and taking the air from my lungs. Almost equally swift, hands hooked about my shoulders and dragged me away from the horrible faces that would have loved taking chunks of me for their own.
“We're even, dude!” Zack's voice shouted over the gunfire and constant moaning from the Ragers, “Now get your ass up and move!”
I needed no additional convincing. I leapt to my feet, the nearest attackers attempting to close the distance with frenzied movements. I fired at the nearest one, the spray of buckshot catching three others and sending them to the floor in bloody heaps.
The military men were the first ones out the door. The three of us always knew to move as a team.
“Clear!” Nikky shouted while looking to Zack for confirmation.
“Clear!” I repeated the phrase, my eyes upon him as well.
“Go!” he responded before stepping through the door and into the late afternoon sunlight.
Nikky was next. She fired two more shots before turning to sprint for the exit. I didn't mind always being last. It meant I didn't have anybody to watch after. I emptied the remaining bullets within the shotgun's chamber before facing the back door and charging through. As I emerged upon the other side, the others were waiting for me.
“Let's keep moving!” the officer said to state the blindly obvious.
I turned for a moment, the world slowing to a crawl as I stared back at my comrades, clad in sweat, blood and grime. We had scraped past another attack. We were still alive, somehow.
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